Sipsmith purchase by Beam Suntory brings welcome reaction from WSTA

Beam Suntory's purchase of a 100% controlling stake in Sipsmith, the artisanal London Dry Gin producer, points to the growing global reach of the renaissance in British gin.

The deal, which comes amid a flurry of recent activity from global drinks companies as they add artisanal spirits and craft beers to their portfolios, will likely see Sipsmith rise from it's humble origins in a Hammersmth garage in 2009 to become global brand in the next few years.

Miles Beale, chief excecutive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association, which counts Sipsmith and Beam Suntory as members, was upbeat about the deal and its ramifications for the resurgent production of well-crafted British spirits.

"It is great news and unsurprising to see a young British company like Sipsmith - and its employees - being taken on as part of the Beam Suntory portfolio of internationally recognised brands," said Beale.

"It is a real sign that the Great British Gin Take-Off is happening not just in the UK, but is going places internationally," he added.

"The UK is central to the global gin industry and London Dry Gin, with three out of every four bottles of gin imported around the world coming from the UK. This news is a true testament to the quality of British products."

Sipsmith has been one of the more prominent of the hundreds of new gin distillers set up in the last decade or so, with this boom reflected in Wine & Spirit Trade Association figures revealing that the amount of gin consumed in the UK on-trade rose 19% by value and 14% by volume in the 12 months to October 2016 alone.